Morinville's street signs are behind the times, suggests a new report, and that could be putting young pedestrians at risk.
Town council received an overview of its 2014 transportation study last week from consultant Chun Man of Urban Systems.
Council commissioned the report last year on the recommendation of its traffic and pedestrian safety advisory committee in response to concerns about inconsistent street signage. The report looks at the use of crosswalks and stop, yield and school zone signs in town.
Man said he found problems and inconsistencies in signage in the school zones in front of Morinville Public, Georges H. Primeau, Notre Dame and Morinville Community High.
Roads intersecting with 101A Street in front of Morinville Public have a mix of stop and yield signs, for example, despite the fact that they all lead to the same school zone.
"We're showing yield signs right at the intersections where we have vulnerable pedestrians," Man said.
"Why are we allowing vehicles to roll through the intersection when we know there could be vulnerable users accessing that street?"
The town's playground zones are also confusing, said town corporate services director David Schaefer in an interview. Many of the town's playgrounds are screened from the street by homes, leaving drivers mystified as they roll through playground zones without seeing a playground.
The town's engineering standards encourage speeding. Man noted that those standards require engineers to design town roads to handle 60 km/h traffic, with arterials designed for 70.
The speed limit in Morinville is 50 or less with very few exceptions.
That means local streets tend to be wide, straight, and free of clutter, Man noted – all traits that encourage higher speeds.
"It allows drivers to just blast on through higher than 50."
Man also noted how some of the town's streets are pedestrian unfriendly. For example, 100th Street requires pedestrians to either walk on the grass or on the shoulder of a 60 km/h road.
"Is this the best facility for our children or for our family members to be walking down?" he asked.
Sign solutions
Most of these problems are due to outdated engineering standards, Man said in an interview.
Others were the result of changes made in isolation, Schaefer continued – someone putting in a crosswalk but forgetting to change the nearby stop sign to a yield, for example.
"It's more than just the crosswalk," he said – you have to consider its users and the surrounding environment.
Man recommended that the town update its standards to reflect those of Alberta Transportation and apply those standards consistently to all streets. Any exceptions to the standards should be documented and applied in all similar circumstances.
The town's engineering department is working on that standards update now, Schaefer said. Consistent standards should increase driver awareness and help staff explain the reasons behind their street design decisions.
Many of the town's problem streets can be fixed with some new signs and lines painted on the street, Man noted. He suggested starting with the town's school zones.
Man also recommended that the town map out safe walking routes to school for students, with particular attention to sidewalk availability, signage and crosswalk locations.
The town will need about three to five years to implement all the report's recommendations, Schaefer said.
A summary of the report is now available at Morinville.ca under the Government tab.
Man said he was now revising his report and should have the full version ready later this month.
